Self-care when suffering from gastroenteritis in Tanzania : Nurses perspective

Abstract: According to World Health Organization 1.5 million people die every year due to diarrhoeal diseases. Diarrhoeal diseases may be caused by a multitude of different reasons, though WHO highlights the fact that 58% of these, are caused by lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene. A qualitative study conducted with nurses working at different departments at a hospital in Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews were performed with ten nurses and the interviews were analysed through content analysis. The purpose was to describe nurses' experiences of working with self-care for patients suffering from gastroenteritis. Nurses experience that patients need more self-care knowledge, and the common perception is that patients are happy to receive the nurses’ advice regarding basic hygiene. It appears that the nurses find that there are no social structures that can help people maintain good health, despite their own efforts to maintain good health, there is not always prerequisite to maintain it. The community health workers are considered important for all people entitled to experienced health, for human rights and for people to get the right care when they need it.